Continuously increasing memory capacity on storage systems, (for example computers, digital video recorders, personal device assistants, smart phones, cellular phones, file management systems, operating systems and the like) have allowed users to use their storage systems as the primary location to store many types of data files. These various storage systems has become a common source for centrally maintaining all audio, video and photo files for many users. While this trend has the advantage of centralizing all this information in one device, it has become increasingly difficult to (i) view and (ii) locate the many different files now being stored.
For viewing data files, conventional computer display screens (15 inch screens) allow a user to view about 30-60 objects (files) at a time on one screen without having to scroll down the screen of the display monitor. For mobile devices or other smaller screens, the number of objects is even less, in the range of 10-20 objects. In addition, with the current “table views” used in most computer systems, very limited information describing the file (date, file size, etc.) can be shown on one screen. So while the file name, date of creation/modification, file size, file type and label for each data file may be of interest to a viewer, typically only one or two of these fields can be seen on a standard display screen. Some proposed solutions to fit more files on a screen have been to make the file images smaller and then use a “table lens” feature to enlarge files as a user scrolls a pointer over that file. With this table lens solution, however, there are still many files embedded in sub-files or sub-folders that may not be located even with a lens view of a higher level of folders.
For locating data files, a conventional search result or sort result can end up displaying more files than can be viewed on a single screen. Also, conventional sort and search tools may not show all the files that are sub-files of folders contained grouped files. Thus, while folders may be shown on the screen, many files deep in the folder may not be shown or located if the search is not performed properly. In addition, sorting an entire memory of a device for certain files takes an inconvenient amount of time. Also, hidden files are too often misplaced. Still further, a user may not remember the name of the file and therefore the search or sort terms to locate the files are futile.